Sifter



May E@ 31950 F. R. CHESTER 2,507,960

SIFTER Filed June 27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l A?" @HA/EY:

May 16, 1950 F. R. CHESTER SIFTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 1945 INVENTOR. FRANK R. CHESTER BY FIG. 7

ATTORNEK Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y 5 Claims.

My invention relates to a sifter, more particularly to a flour sifter.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a sifter of this class in which a sifting or foraminous member, at the bottom of the flour receptacle, and the flour agitator to be used in connection therewith, are rotated with respect to each other about a vertical axis, and from the Side of the sifter.

Another important object of this invention is to provide means, below the sifting or foraminous element and an agitator therefore, for rotating one of them, and an operating means of this nature which will not interfere with the flour or other product placed in the sifter.

An important object also of this invention is to provide a sifter of this class in which one of the elements of the sifter is rotated on a vertical axis by an oscillating arm carried by and adjacent the side of the handle of the sifter.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a simple operating means for the movable element of the sifter in the form of a spiral shaft, actuated by means in association with the handle, and in which the means may be operated by the same hand holding the sitter.

A still further important object of this invention is to provide a novel and simple multiple sifter whereby flour or other product may pass through various stages of sifting, and to provide also a novel and simple means for operating the Same. g

Still another important object of this inven tion is the provision of a sifter which may be used from opposite sides or opposite ends so that it may be readily inverted.

A novel and important feature of this invention is to provide a sifter of this class which may be readily attached to the top of a measuring cup or other receptacle for sifting flour, or the like, thereinto, and which may then be readily inverted for resifting the same.

With these and other objects in View, as will appear hereinafter, I have devised a sifter having certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the char-acters of reference thereon, which form a part of this application, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of my sifter in a preferred form of construction;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through 2 the median portion of the sifter, taken on the line 2-2 or Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, on a considerably larger scale than that shown in Fig. l, showing in greater detail the location and arrangement of the sifting and agitating members;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view lof the central portion of a foraminous sifting disc;

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary transverse sectional views thereof, taken through 5--5 and 5 6 of Fig. 2 and,

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevational view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but slightly modified from and in association with a receptacle at the lower end, another receptacle being shown by dotted lines secured to the opposite end.

My sifter, as shown in the drawings, is a cylindrical thin or sheet metal receptacle I, open at its upper and lower ends, with .a handle 2 secured to and extending from one side thereof.

The sifting means of my sifter consists ,of a plurality of sifting members 3 and agitating members 4. The sifting members 3 are shallow cups having foraminous, and preferably perforated bottom portions, the perforations being designated 3a. These foramino-us sifting members are provided with annular flanges 3b which support and space the foraminous sifting members above each other, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The set of sifting members are Xedly located within and near the bottom portion of the receptacle I by means of and between annular beads la pressed inwardly from the side wall of the receptacle.

The agitators i consist of enlarged hub portions sa and radially extending agitator arms 4b. One of said agitators is loosely positioned above each of the foraminous discs or sifting members 3. The flanges 3b of the sifting discs `are preferably higher than the thickness of the agitators 4 so as t0 permit considerable freedom of movement vertically of the latter between adjacent sifting discs. The upper agitator 4 is retained in position by a retaining ring '5 fitted over the ange of the upper sifting disc. This ring is retained by the upper head la.

In this instance the agitators 4 are rotated or oscillated about their axes by a shaft 6. This shaft may consist of a at element having a shoulder te intermediate its ends. The upper or reduced end Eh of the shaft extends through central round holes 3C of the discs and through elongated holes c in the hub portions of the agitators. The shaft 6 rotates freely in the round holes SC of the discs, but as the shaft is rotated,

it carries with it the agitators 4 by reason of the elongated holes 4C through which the shaft nonrotatably extends.

The lower end of the shaft 6, which extends below the sifting discs, is twisted, forming a. helical portion I5c of at-cioss-section, as shown best in Fig. 5.

The shaft 6 is rotated by moving an operating member longitudinally with respect to the axis of the shaft. `This causes the shaft to be rotated through a slight angle which may be conveniently between 90 and 180.

The operating member may consist of a spring member '1, which, as shown, has a portion 'Ia which is positioned and secured to the underside of the arch or connecting portion "of the handle 2 which is of inverted U-shaped cross-section. The operating member 'I extends downwardly from the rear end of the handle, as indicated by Ib, and then forwardly, as indicated by 1c. The handie and the 'operating member provides a convenient gripping portion for the hand. The vfor-- ward end 'of the portion 'IC is offset downwardly `along the rear side of the receptacle I and is provided with a forwardly extending arm 7d which extends into the receptacle I through a vertical slot I-", and encompasses at its end the helical portion 3C oi the shaft. It is so arranged that it may move substantially the length of the helical portion of the shaft. When the handle is gripped with one hand, with the ngers of the same hand against the underside of the portion "se, the operating member 'I may be readily contracted with respect to the handle, permitting the forward end to be oscillated 'for rotating 'or rocking the agitators 4 with respect to the sifting discs.

The lower end of the shaft '8 may be centrally loc-ated and rotatably supported on a spider 8 carried by the lower end of the cylindrical receptacle I. The lower end of the shafti may be -reduced substantially as shown, in Fig. 2, -providing a shoulder Sd for locating the shaft'within the spider 6. Against the shoulders 6a and :Bd may be provided grommets 9 and I0 in order more effectively to seat the shaft within the lowermost sifting disc and in the -spider 8.

The modified form of my sifter, shown'in Fig. 7,

is reversible so that it may sift flour, or other product in either upright or inverted position. The principal difference of construction from the structure described above is that an agitator 4 is provided at the outer sides of the upper and lower sifting discs 3. In this instance, a 'shallow cup shaped cage II may be substituted for the lowermost sifting disc, and the lowermost agitator is retained adjacent the lowermost disc 'by the cage. Thus when 'the sifter is reversed, an agitator operates above the uppermost sifter disc.

In this modification the lower end of the receptacle has threads I'c so that the lower end may be screwed to the upper end of a transparent measuring cup, or other receptacle I2, for measuring sifted ilour therein. VIf the desired amount is measured therein, the excess may be ydisposed of, vand the sifter reversed with the cup in place. The flour may then be resifted into another re- `ceptacle, or other measuring vcup I3 screwed Aat its 4ope'ne'nd to a threaded portion Id at the other edof the receptacle I, The multiple sifting may tlie'n be frepeated.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination, and arrange'- dnentof parts l-and portions 'of my Asifter, and a certain modiiication thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the same, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination, and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a sifter of the class described, a receptacle, a foraminous member and agitator member positioned at the bottom of the receptacle, one of the latter members being rotatable with respect to the other 'of the latter members about a vertical axis, a rotatable helical shaft at the axial portion of and connected to one of the latter for rotating the same, and a handle for the receptacle, said handle extending outwardly from the receptacle and having resilient means, connected to the extended end thereof, capable of reciprocating axially with respect to and over the helical portion oi the shaft for rotating the same.

2. In a sifter of the 'class described, a recepta'cle, a foraminous member and agitator member positioned at the bottom of the receptacle, one of the latter members being rotatable with respect to the other of the latter members about a vertical axis, a rotatable shaft connected to the axial portion of one of the latter for rotating the same, a handle extending from one side of the receptacle, said handle having an oscillating arm at its underside, the forward end of the arm extending to said axial portion, the lower end of the shaft having a helical portion embraced by the tree end o1" the arm for rotating the shaft with the oscillation of the arm.

3. In a sifter of the class described, a receptacle, a for-aminous member and agitator member positioned at the bottom of the receptacle, one of the latter members being rotatable with respect to the other of the latter members about a vertical axis, a rotatable shaft connected to the axial portion of one of the latter for rotating the same, a handle extending from one side of the receptacle, said handle being hollow and having a, resilient oscillating arm at its underside and extending freely forwardly from the end of the handle, the forward end of the arm extending `to said axial portion, the lower end of the shaft having a helical portion embraced by the free end oi the arm for rotating the shaft with the oscillation of the arm.

4. In a sifter of the class described, a receptacle, a foraminous member and agitator member positioned at the bottom of the receptacle, one of the latter members being rotatable with respect to 'the other of the latter members about a vertical axis, a rotatable helical shaft at the axial portion o'f and extending downwardly from the foraminous member and the agitator member and connected to one vof the latter, and means, below the foraminous member, embracing the helical shai t for rotating the shaft and the member connected thereto, and a handle for the receptacle, said handle having resilient means capable of reciprocating axially with respect to and over the helical portion of the shaft for rotating the same.

5. In a sifter of the class described, a receptacle,a foraminous member and agitator member positioned at the bottom lof the receptacle, one of thejlatter members being rotatable with respect to the other of the latter members about a vertical axis,-a rotatable helical shaft at the axial portion of and extending downwardly, from the foraminous member and agitator member and yconnected to one of the latter, a handle grip for 'the "receptacle, and means on 'the handle grip,

5 extending below the foraminous member, and embracing and axially reciprocable with respect to the helical shaft for rotating the shaft and the member connected thereto.

FRANK R. CHESTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 337,711 Smith Mar. 9, 1886 454,752 Miller June 23, 1891 Number Number Name Date Shaw Dec. 19, 1905 Wantling Sept. 5, 1911 Lehrmann et a1. Aug. 19, 1913 Graham Feb. 8, 1916 Adams Mar. 25, 1924 Mc Mllin June 29, 1926 Sturrock Mar. 18, 1930 Andrews et a1. Apr. 11, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Nov. 30, 1906 

